Aschaffenburg to Metz

14 Day Tour Itinerary below.  9 Day itinerary starts with arrival on Day 6 in Cochem between 3 & 5PM.  

Day 1: Arrival in Aschaffenburg
Day 2: Aschaffenburg - Offenbach - Frankfurt, 30 mi. (48 km)
Day 3: Frankfurt - Mainz, 25 mi. (40 km)
Day 4: Mainz - Rüdesheim, 22 mi. (35 km) + optional 5 mi. (8 km)
Day 5: Rüdesheim - Oberwessel - Koblenz, 19 mi. (30 km)
Day 6: Koblenz - Winningen - Cochem, 26 or 31 mi. (41 or 50 km)
Day 7: Cochem - Beilstein - Zell, 23 mi. (37 km)
Day 8: Zell - Traben Trarbach - BernKastel-Kues, 25 mi. (40 km)
Day 9: BernKastel-Kues, Daun excursion, 39 mi. (62 km)
Day 10: Bernkastel-Kues - Neumagen - Schweich | Schweich - Trier, 18 or 34 mi. (28 ot 54 km)
Day 11: Trier - Saarburg, 18 mi. (28 km)
Day 12: Saarburg - Remich, 27 or 32 mi. (45 or 53 km)
Day 13: Remich - Schengen | Schengen - Thionville | Thionville - Metz, 18 mi. (30 km)
Day 14: Metz

*All distances are approximate. The itinerary is subject to change sometimes without prior notice.  Some waterways may be subject to occasional closures due to drought, storms, floods, canal or lock repairs, or other unforeseen circumstances that make navigation unsafe or impossible. The captain reserves the right to make any changes deemed necessary.

Day 1: Arrival in Aschaffenburg
You may check-in on the boat at 3 pm.  Unpack, refresh, and explore the city. At 6 pm, you will be officially welcomed on board as you enjoy a complimentary beverage and then your first onboard dinner. After each evening meal, you are able to go exploring!

Day 2: Aschaffenburg - Offenbach - Frankfurt, 30 mi. (48 km)
From Aschaffenburg, you pedal through Kleinosheim and Dettingen, cross the river by ferry, and visit the romantic and well preserved medieval village of Seligenstadt. This town has winding lanes, half-timbered houses, a basilica, and most importantly, a very popular brewery.  The tour continues along the Main River to Klein-Krotzenburg and Steinheim with its charming old town to Hanau, the birthplace of the famous Brothers Grimm. From Mühlheim, you bike to Offenbach, where the Quo Vadis is waiting and it is off to  Frankfurt.  Highlights here include the Old Town Center, the St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral, the beautiful Old Opera House, great museums, and much more. 

Day 3: Frankfurt - Mainz, 25 mi. (40 km)
Following the Main River, the route leads to Rüsselsheim and further, on the left side of the river, to Ginsheim-Gustavsburg. Here the Main flows into the Rhine. You’ll cross the river to Mainz with its Rheinufer promenade where the Quo Vadis will be waiting for you. Mainz is famous for the timbered houses, the Cathedral of Mainz, lovely churches, and squares. You can visit small boutiques, pubs, and ‘Weinstuben’ which are hidden in Baroque houses and behind Rococo façades. 

Day 4: Mainz - Rüdesheim, 22 mi. (35 km) + optional 5 mi. (8 km)
After breakfast, you cycle to the center of Mainz to first enjoy the city, with the possibility to visit one of the many museums.  Afterward, you will cycle along the Rhine passing lovely villages like Eltville. You can do an optional detour (+5 mi/8 km) to visit the Eberbach Abbey. Arriving in Rüdesheim in the afternoon, do not miss the opportunity to take a stroll through the Drosselgasse, a cobblestone alley with many restored half-timbered houses in the heart of the Old Town.

Day 5: Rüdesheim - Oberwessel - Koblenz, 19 mi. (30 km)
Your cycling tour takes you along the left bank of the Rhine, past towering castles, through the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the afternoon you will meet the Quo Vadis again and you will navigate the famous bend in the Rhine, the Loreley, to Koblenz. This lively rebuilt historic town at the confluence with the Moselle has cozy squares, plenty cafés, a castle garden, and the Deutsches Eck monument at the promenade, best enjoyed during an evening walk

Day 6: Koblenz - Winningen - Cochem, 26 or 31 mi. (41 or 50 km) THIS CAN ALSO BE ARRIVAL DAY FOR 9 DAY TOUR, ARRIVAL BETWEEN 3 - 5PM.
This route on the banks of the Moselle showcases sloping vineyards and hilltop castles, charming half-timbered villages, and small historic towns, adorned with vines and geraniums. You shouldn’t miss the charming Kobern town square, the garden of Schloss Liebieg, the vast Von der Leyen castle extended over the road, the Hatzenpfort ferry tower or the fine Romanesque church of Karden. At Klotten one could take a ferry to have a more quiet approach to Cochem, where we find the Quo Vadis again. This is a charming small historic town with lively streets and terraces, and of course the hilltop castle which you can take a shuttle to visit. 

Day 7: Cochem - Beilstein - Zell, 23 mi. (37 mi.)
In Beilstein, you will have the chance to see the Black Madonna in the chapel of the Carmelite Monastery high on the hill. During a short tour, you can explore the quaint and narrow alleyways and alcoves. Today’s tour ends in the wine village of Zell on the Moselle. Zell sits in a lovely location on the Moselle, where the river meanders through the hills in many loops. Zeller Schwarze Katz (Black Cat) is a legendary Moselle Wine so be sure to enjoy.

Day 8: Zell - Traben Trarbach - BernKastel-Kues, 25 mi. (40 km)
The bike tour from Zell brings you to romantic Traben-Trarbach, prominent in the international wine trade during the 19th century, and featuring world-class Art Nouveau architecture. It is then onward to Bernkastel-Kues, this frequently visited, old and picturesque town produces the best wines of the Mid-Moselle. The pride of the town is the market square, with its picturesque timber-framed houses.

Day 9: Bernkastel-Kues, Daun excursion, 39 mi. (62 km)
You leave the river and vineyards behind and are shuttled by bus up into the Eifel region to the city of Daun. From there, an exhilarating bike ride follows a former railway track that is now a cycling path. The ride includes stretches through tunnels, over bridges, and by small lakes formed from volcano craters, known as maars. 

Day 10: Bernkastel-Kues - Neumagen - Schweich | Schweich - Trier, 18 or 34 mi. (28 ot 54 km)
From Bernkastel, the valley opens up and vineyards expand as far as the eye can see. Today you cruise past the heavy-hitters in the wine world: Brauneberg, Piesport, Trittenheim. Piesport is beloved by the Brits for the “little golden droplets.” Trittenheim lies in a sharp hairpin turn on the river surrounded by mountains coated with grapes. Around lunchtime, you will arrive in Neumagen, a Roman center for wine production. You can decide to join the barge from here or continue by bicycle to Schweich, where again the barge will be waiting for you. Once on board you will cruise to Trier, the oldest city in Germany. Trier was founded in the 4th century B.C. by Caesar Augustus under the name of Augusta Trevorum. As a trading town and administrative center, Trier flourished during the late imperial age. This Roman golden age has left us with a respectable number of monuments. Most authentic is the city gate Porta Nigra, which was built about 170 AD.

Day 11: Trier - Saarburg, 18 mi. (28 km)
In the morning your tour leader will take you into Trier and you can walk in history. There is also time to discover and enjoy Trier on your own. After lunch, you will hop on your bicycles and follow the Mosel and Saar river to Saarburg, an interesting old town situated in the most beautiful part of the Saar valley, with densely forested river banks. The castle of Saarburg was built here in the middle of the 10th century. In the middle of town, you come across a waterfall of 20 meters high. At the foot of this waterfall, there is an old mill, powered by the small river. In this part of town most of the old houses from the 17th and 18th centuries, which give Saarburg such a picturesque look, are still intact. Today there is no dinner on board. You can select one of the local restaurants in Saarburg.

Day 12: Saarburg - Remich, 27 or 32 mi. (45 or 53 km)
Today there are two cycling options. One is easy, but a bit longer along the rivers. The shorter option is a bit more challenging, through the hills. Whatever your choice is, the cycling will lead you into the Grand Duchy Luxembourg. Here the Moselle forms the border between Germany and Luxembourg. Luxembourg is a small country, but her capital (also called Luxembourg) is an important financial center and EU administrative city. On the way, at the Luxembourg side, we visit a wine cooperative, specialized in “Cremant”, the Champagne of the Moselle. Close to Remich you can admire a Roman mosaic floor. The tile floor which lies in its original place, was once the centerpiece in a palatial Roman villa. The scene (in 3 million individual tile pieces) reveals scenes from gladiator games in the amphitheater.

Day 13: Remich - Schengen | Schengen - Thionville | Thionville - Metz, 18 mi. (30 km)
While having breakfast you will cruise to Schengen, where your cycling tour will start. The “Schengen agreement” is something everybody in Europe has heard of, whereas almost nobody knows that it is named after this little town in Luxembourg at the 3-country border. As youl cross the Luxembourg-French border, you will experience one of the outcomes of this agreement: no border controls. You pass the fortress of Sierck-les-Bains, one of the palaces inhabited by the powerful Dukes of Lorraine. The route is lovely through French countryside and friendly villages. Around lunchtime, you will arrive in Thionville, the center of the steel industry until the 1980s. That might sound modern and industrial, but the city is ancient. The historic center  reveals medieval ramparts, lovely gardens, old streets, and St. Maximin Basilica. Here the ship is waiting to pick you up to cruise to Metz, another ancient city strategically situated on a Roman trading route. St. Etienne Cathedral is the 3rd largest Gothic church in France with flying buttresses and Marc Chagall stained glass windows. Metz is full of stunning architecture, flowers, and great cafes.

Day 14: Metz
Disembarkation after breakfast.

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